Desperately need help

[jtlawnman96]

I just purchased a Compucarve and I am having problems getting it to work. When I insert the memory card and power the machine on the LCD display reads CarveWright Woodworking Machine and I can't get it to go to any of the other options or menus.
I uploaded one design to the card to simply test and play with the machine but I can't get this to pull up on the machine.

Any advice?? Does it sound like I have a bad machine?

[Gman_Ind]

Have you tried re flashing the card yet? make sure you have updated your designer software then re flash the card. Best of luck.

[jtlawnman96]

I updated the designer program and re flashed the card. The card was updated but the machine still will not go past the message of Carve Wright Woodworking Machine.

[liquidguitars]

try one of the free projects files that are known to work right here on the fourm, other than that look at your software.

LG

[jtlawnman96]

I tried using one of the projects but still the same problem. I can't get the machine to recognize anything that is pressed on the keypad including going into options so I am leaning towards a problem with the machine instead of the software.

[Jeff_Birt]

This may be a symptom of a bad memory card. Give CW a call (they are there today for a while), and talk to a tech.

[jtlawnman96]

I called CW and they will be sending me a new memory card. Hopefully this will fix the problem.

[rjustice]

One other possibility.... Take a flashlight and carefully look back into the slot that the card plugs into. Make sure there are no pins bent over, or broken off. While i havent heard of this problem on the compucarve, i have seen it on computers. Its worth taking a look anyway...

Good luck...

Ron

[liquidguitars]

I called CW and they will be sending me a new memory card. Hopefully this will fix the problem.

Mostly when a card is bad it will not show the CarveWright Woodworking Machine intro, but just black boxes, does your designer projects show up on the card when reading from the flash manger?

LG

[jtlawnman96]

All of the designs show up on the card on the computer. I went ahead and ordered a replacement machine. Hopefully, I will have better luck with it.

[rjustice]

Did you check the pins inside the card slot on the machine?

Ron

[Digitalwoodshop]

Sounds like the keypad is unplugged.....

Here is a picture of what you are looking at through the slot. For a better inspection remove the bottom cover. This is from when I had a power supply problem.

Good Luck,

AL

On second thought.... See the picture, #3.... Remove your bottom cover, I bet one of the 2 plugs on the carve computer is unplugged or loose. I fixed Navy Radars and Computers for years then Play Stations with Sony... My money is on one of the plugs to the I/O or Input Output device. The fact that the LCD display works could mean the plug is not in all the way or back to the keypad internal wiring?. AL USN Retired FCC(SW)

Let us know.

[Digitalwoodshop]

Never heard the answer to what this problem was?

AL

[cycollins]

...I like DigitalWoodshop's comment (in his images) about always blowing the machine with the card in place. I made the same decision when I noticed that while applying compressed air, sawdust would occasionally fly out the slot. I had exactly the same image in my head, of a micro-chunk of wood happily lodging itself in one of the pin sockets, there to remain for all time. There are MANY places on the CW unit that need to be sealed or covered and more still that need to be made accessible for cleaning. There are hard-to-access pockets all over the place where dust collects in an alarming way. One of these is right on top of the ribbon cable that runs from the pad to the computer. My band saw (a considerably less sophisticated but more robust piece of equipment) has doors all over it for making dust-collection zones cleanable (as well as a proper dust evacuation port). If version 2 of the machine had absolutely no improvements in its electronics or performance stats, but was twice as reliable and maintainable, it would be worth full price to swap it out.

cycollins

[CallNeg151]

...I like DigitalWoodshop's comment (in his images) about always blowing the machine with the card in place. I made the same decision when I noticed that while applying compressed air, sawdust would occasionally fly out the slot. I had exactly the same image in my head, of a micro-chunk of wood happily lodging itself in one of the pin sockets, there to remain for all time. There are MANY places on the CW unit that need to be sealed or covered and more still that need to be made accessible for cleaning. There are hard-to-access pockets all over the place where dust collects in an alarming way. One of these is right on top of the ribbon cable that runs from the pad to the computer. My band saw (a considerably less sophisticated but more robust piece of equipment) has doors all over it for making dust-collection zones cleanable (as well as a proper dust evacuation port). If version 2 of the machine had absolutely no improvements in its electronics or performance stats, but was twice as reliable and maintainable, it would be worth full price to swap it out.

cycollins

I had a few minor problems with my machine, but ultimately encountered the infamous z-axis plunge due to a dead sensor. Although the z-motor pack was quickly replaced by tech support, I couldn't help but wonder if the failure arose from the excessive amount of fine dust that accumulated with the MDF that I carved fairly frequently.

I broke down and got a 1 HP 700CFM dust collector, attached a wide metal nozzle, cut a hole through the safety shield, and used industrial strength velcro to hold the nozzle in place inside the machine (so that it is just over the wood, but clears all moving parts while carving). This setup gets most of the sawdust off of the workpiece, and eliminates sawdust buildup inside the machine. In fact, I haven't had any accumulation at all in the dust bag/muffler on the CarveWright during the ten or so hours that I've carved with the dust collector in place.

I'm wondering if the mean time between failures, and the types of failures differ depending on whether a dust collector is installed. If so, I think one of the biggest improvements that they might make in the machine is to have a built-in port to attach a 4" dust collector hose.